


Bus Stop

by wth_am_i_writing



Series: Descent [9]
Category: VIXX
Genre: Gen, POV Second Person
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-12
Updated: 2018-12-12
Packaged: 2019-09-15 00:27:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16923210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wth_am_i_writing/pseuds/wth_am_i_writing
Summary: Why was he talking to you, a stranger?





	Bus Stop

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on Tumblr on January 4, 2014.
> 
> Original Author’s Note: Part of the Descent Series. Hongbin’s introduction. I honestly had a hard time writing it (for lack of good ideas), but I really wanted to introduce Hongbin, and a lot of people are interested in how he fits into everything since he ends up the most messed up in the end… I kinda feel like this is a little cliched, but… meh… This is more or less a sequel of “Caught”, but “Fear” and “Cheater Cheater” are helpful to understanding this as well. Whatever happen to these being stand alone?

The cool evening air nipped at your cheeks as you stared at your hands. They were turning white in the cold, but it was more because of how long you’d been sitting outside than the temperature. You weren’t sure where to go, but you figured that sitting in a public place like this was as safe as you could be for the moment. The fact that you hadn’t heard from Ken yet didn’t mean he wasn’t watching somewhere. The slightest noise around you made you jump, and you couldn’t help but look up and around you from time to time, searching for any signs of him.

Your apartment carried too many memories and you were too scared to approach either N or Ravi. You’d also exhausted your welcome with your school friends, having apartment hopped the week before. So you sat on a bus stop bench at a busy intersection in town. At least if anything happened to you, you could scream and make a scene. But the sun had almost completely set and it was probably about time to start looking for a cheap hotel. But you didn’t want to move. You just wanted to disappear into the crowd, fade away for just a few moments and pretend that none of what had happened earlier was real.

Someone sat down next to you and pressed a hot can of coffee into your hands. You jumped in your seat, not expecting the stranger to have done that at all. You looked up at them, afraid it was Ken, only for you’re your fear to be somewhat washed away when you saw it wasn’t.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said, his voice surprisingly deep and soothing.

“You’re the clerk from that used bookstore,” you said, voice a bit cracked.

“I’ve got a name,” he said. You stared at him, trying to recall what his nametag had said. “I’m Hongbin,” he informed you after a few moments. You turned away from him. “Can I ask your name?” You stayed silent. You didn’t want to tell him. “Ok… Noona….”

“Why are you here?”

“I just got off work. I’ve been watching you from the store window for the last three hours. No matter how many buses came, you never got on one,” he explained.

“But why are you _here_?” you asked again.

“I ride the bus home, and you looked cold.”

“Why do you care?”

“Because when you came into the shop today, you were covered in fresh bruises.”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“Because whatever happened today, you still came in and read that big old book that no one else can read, just like you have been for the past week.”

“You can’t read it?” you asked, snapping your head to look at him. Sure the outside of the book looked old and was written in a foreign language, but the contents were all in modern vernacular.

“I can’t read, but that’s besides the point,” Hongbin said, trying to transition back to his original point.

“You _can’t read_?” you spilled dumbfounded. Hongbin’s mouth hung open, the words he was about to say caught in his mouth. He slowly turned his head away, gaze unfocused on the pavement in front of the bench. He took a deep breath in, bit his lip and clenched the hand that wasn’t holding the coffee can.

“I can read, but not well. I had to drop out during elementary school,” he explained, voice shaking a bit with nervousness. You didn’t believe him. This was all too weird. No one just drops out of elementary school.

“You work in a book store.”

“It’s a long story…” he sighed. He suddenly remembered the coffee in his hand and pushed it back towards you. “Anyway, take the coffee, you’re cold.”

“I don’t want it,” you refused, pushing it away. He pushed it back, starting a war over who would end up with the coffee. Frustrated you grabbed the coffee and stood. With all your strength, you threw the can to the ground. “Why are you even doing this?” you shouted in frustration. People were stopping to stare, but you didn’t care. “You don’t even know me. Don’t be nice to me. Just go about your business and ignore me like everyone else!”

Hongbin stared at you wide-eyed as tears of frustration welled up in your eyes. You wiped them away and sat back down. Today was probably the second worst day of your life. Your world was falling apart and some _stranger_ was harassing you. You probably should have walked away, should have ignored him but you were engaging him. Maybe it was time to suck up your pride and call a friend to ask a friend to stay a second night at their place. Hongbin reached out to rub your back but you smacked him away.

“This is what I get for actually trying to talk to people for once,” Hongbin sighed, slowly retracting his hand and turning to look back at the street. You fell into silence for a few moments, Hongbin clenching and unclenching his hands nervously as he tried to find something to say. He finally mumbled, “I-I guess I just felt like we were the same… So I wanted to bring you coffee.”

“The same?” you scoffed. “How are we the same?”

“We’re both broken and beaten…” his tone was quiet, so quiet you almost missed it for the sound of the cars on the road.

“Do you know anything about love?” you diverted, not quite sure yourself why the words came out of your mouth. Maybe it was because you were questioning everything you thought you new about love and relationships. Maybe it was because he’d opened up about himself some.

“It hurts, but it feels good. Or so I’ve heard…”

“You’ve never been in love?”

“No.”

“Maybe you’re lucky…” you sighed. Though you had to wonder if you’d ever really been in love yourself. Could you describe your feelings towards Leo as love?

“I’m not lucky,” Hongbin said, a bitter smile tugging at the corner of his lips. He pushed his glasses up on his nose. “I’m just… alive…”

You swallowed. The words hit home on a level that you never expected them to. There were moments where you had wondered why Ken or Leo or Ravi just couldn’t have gone a head and killed you. Would things be better if they had? There were moments when you didn’t feel lucky to have walked away. You were alive, but you weren’t _living_. Walking around everyday in fear of Ken was not _living_. You still couldn’t sleep, and you doubted that your nightmares would be anymore peaceful after what had happened with Leo. You just wanted to go back in time. But the spell book didn’t offer you any clues, only provided you with ways to take revenge. Maybe it was in this that you were the same.

“Noona… I—My bus is here…” Hongbin trailed off as a bus approached the stop. He stood and turned to you. “Noona, please don’t stop coming to the store.” He fidgeted nervously before turning away and climbing on the bus.

You watched until the bus disappeared. Sighing, you sat back. Alone again. You’d almost started to enjoy his company. Your phone buzzed in your pocket and your heart stopped, the fear that it was Ken resurfacing. Taking a shaky breath, you pulled it out of your pocket and unlocked it. It was N.

“ _Are you ok?_ ”

You replied with a simple “ _yes_ ”.

Almost immediately: “ _Thank goodness. Leo broke Ken’s nose. I was afraid of what he’d do to you._ ” Then: “ _Where are you?_ ” Leo had broken Ken’s nose? Then it was probably safe to say that Ken was not a threat tonight. You relaxed slightly at the thought.

“ _Are you mad?_ ” you texted him, avoiding the question.

“ _No. Just black and blue._ ” he replied. You rolled your eyes, not finding the pun funny at all. “ _Ravi beat me up after Leo left_ ,” came a few seconds later. You sighed. That was why you didn’t want to see Ravi. “ _Where are you?_ ”

“ _At a friend’s_ ,” you lied.

“ _If you ever need a place to go, don’t hesitate to ask._ ” You sighed again, sliding your phone back into your pocket. Despite his offer, you didn’t want to face him quite yet—not while you were still feeling so guilty about what you’d done to Leo. You pushed yourself up, going through your mental list of friends that would possibly take you in for the night. Maybe it would be better to get a hotel after all. 


End file.
